


The Prince

by AMidnightDreary



Series: About Princes, Dragons and Hatchlings [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Domestic, Dragon Tony Stark, Fluff, M/M, Nesting, Oblivious Loki (Marvel), Pining Loki (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 08:10:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: In which Loki is a pining idiot and Tony is basically a cat in dragon form.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: About Princes, Dragons and Hatchlings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549009
Comments: 87
Kudos: 775





	The Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaxonkreide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaxonkreide/gifts).
  * Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: [【霜铁授翻】王子The prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22749658) by [FloraFangfei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloraFangfei/pseuds/FloraFangfei)

> Look, Jax, when I started writing this, I wanted to use your ideas. I really did. But then this happened, and I'm not sure what else to do with it. There'll be another part, I think, but just have this for now, I guess? I hope you like it! ❤
> 
> This a sequel to my story The Egg Thief, so maybe read that one first!

_ Looooookiiii. _

_ Yes, I'm on my way. _

_ I'm hungry. We're both hungry. Hurry up. _

_ I do think he is still too tiny to be hungry. _

_ He's starving, Loki. _

_ He's still in his egg! Don't be so impatient, I - _

“Sir? You alright?”

Loki looks up and blinks at the man, slightly irritated that he interrupted them. He still put on a smile, because the man couldn't really have known that Loki was busy having a mental conversation with a dragon who is many miles away.

“Of course, sorry,” Loki says, fishing a wallet that wasn't there a second ago out of his pocket.

He pays, and shortly after leaves the restaurant with a bag of hot food that will hopefully keep his dragon from whining for at least thirty minutes. Yes, _ his _ dragon. Loki isn't sure when he started thinking of him like that. It just happened, and now he can't do anything against it anymore. 

The streets of New York are impossibly crowded, and nobody notices when Loki disappears right in front of their eyes.

~

Anthony waits for him in what has, slowly but steadily, become their home. Well, Anthony and his son's home, that is. Loki is - a welcome visitor, that's all. A welcome visitor who returned to the house at the lake in the evening, every evening of the last two months, without fail, and always stays the night.

The weather is lovely, but Anthony isn't outside. He hasn't left the house in weeks because leaving his _ nest _ makes him anxious, but Loki is quite sure that that is perfectly normal. And the dragon's nest is quite nice - they set it up together in the attic, and with a little bit of magic the room became bigger than it actually is. There are windows in the roof, letting in the light and the warmth of the sun, and on the floor there are more pillows and blankets than Loki has ever seen in his life. It's an actual small apartment, with a kitchen nook and sitting corner with a TV and a bathroom. Even a few shelves with books and a chess set Anthony made himself. Loki is comfortable there. And he does call it _ home _ in his thoughts, even though he knows that he doesn't have the right.

He's learned by now that Anthony doesn't take kindly to someone appearing in his nest out of thin air, so Loki takes the ladder up to the attic. And yes, there is his dragon waiting for him, curled up around his egg in his favorite corner of his nest.

_ About time, _ Anthony grumbles, his voice clear and warm in Loki's thoughts. 

Loki has gotten used to that by now. And it's helpful, it is, to be able to communicate over such vast distances, too. He is still slightly stunned by how _ effortlessly _ Anthony does that - Loki is one of the most skilled mages in the Nine Realms, and when he is in New York and Anthony is here, even Loki can only answer to the dragon's words because Anthony makes it possible for him to do so.

“I was gone for fifteen minutes,” Loki says, making his way to the small kitchen.

Anthony's golden eyes follow him, but he doesn't make a move to get up. He does change into his humanoid form, though, and Loki makes sure to turn away the second Anthony's scales start to blur into skin. Anthony is always naked after changing, and while Loki has long figured out how to keep himself from both blushing and _ looking _, it's better not to take any risks.

“What did you get?” Anthony asks. The rustling of clothes muffles his voice.

Loki rolls his eyes. “Exactly what you asked for.”

He brings their dinner over to Anthony, and soon they sit there amongst all these pillows and blankets and talk. Well, Anthony does most of the talking, Loki only barely manages to nod along and give at least sort of interesting answers now and then. It's getting harder and harder, doing this. 

Anthony's hair is still tinged with red at the tips, just like his slightly pointy ears. Loki can see blood-red scales on his arms, and Anthony's eyes aren't brown. They always remain golden nowadays, solely because he doesn't bother shifting into a completely human form. There are only three people who are allowed to see him like this, and Loki still doesn't really understand why he is one of them.

There are friends, of course. That's the reason - the only reason.

“ - keeps asking where I am, and I keep telling him that it's none of his business and also I'm on _ vacation _, so I've got better things to do than listen to Captain Spandex, but -”

Anthony falls silent all of a sudden, and Loki realizes it about three seconds too late. He was distracted by Anthony's hands (they always move so vividly when he talks) and the glint in his golden eyes and the amused tone of his voice and at least a dozen other things.

When he does realize that Anthony has stopped talking and is now frowning at the egg, Loki lets his fork sink. “Anthony?”

Anthony hums. After a moment his expression softens, and he smiles. First at the egg, which is safely nestled between pillows right next to them, and then at Loki. The golden eyes sparkle with his smile, and Loki can almost taste the dragon's magic in the air.

Anthony looks very young like this. Then again, he _ is _ young - just a little older in years then Loki is. In the form he dons for the humans, there are silver streaks in his hair and beard, wrinkles around eyes and mouth. He is beautiful like that, too, but like _ this _ \- gods, Loki can barely breathe.

“I think he'll want to get out soon,” Anthony announces with another glance at his egg. “He's already late.”

Loki doesn’t question how Anthony knows that. Maybe he can hear the soon-to-be hatchling's thoughts, just like he could hear Loki's thoughts if he wanted to, or maybe his magic whispered it to him. By now, watching Anthony use magic is one of Loki's favorite things. It's nice, knowing that Anthony trusts Loki enough to let him watch. It's also overwhelming and maybe even a little frightening, because Loki doesn't really know what to do with it. He hasn't ever had anyone's trust, and now it feels like such a fragile thing in his hands that most of the time he is scared of touching it at all. 

Loki yanks his eyes away from Anthony and pretends to examine his food. "When do you think he will hatch?"

Anthony shrugs and reaches out to run his fingers over the egg, carefully. "The shell is already soft. Can't be more than a few days, I'd say."

Loki nods. He is ridiculously nervous, but he does his best to hide it. "Do you need anything else? For him?"

"Nah, I think we've got everything covered. I'll call Pep and Rhodey later and ask them to stay away for a few days, so that he can, you know. Hatch in peace."

Loki very abruptly loses his appetite. "Oh. Yes, of course."

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why is he even still here? He should have suggested that himself, he should have _ known _ that he's intruding. If Anthony doesn't want his two best friends to be here at the moment, he certainly also doesn't want Loki here. Loki should -

"I mean, they can come and see him after a few days, but right now I'd like it to be just the three of us. Otherwise he'll just get -"

Loki nearly drops his plate.

Anthony blinks at him. "Lo?"

"What?"

"Everything okay? Did I -"

"No, _ what _ did you just say?" Loki interrupts, his heart beating so wildly in his chest that he _ knows _ Anthony can hear it. "Do you really - no."

"I've no idea what you're talking about. Do I really what?"

Loki stares at him, unable to say anything. He probably just misunderstood. He definitely misunderstood.

Anthony frowns, a concerned look in his golden eyes. "Loki, what's wrong?"

Loki shakes his head, then takes a breath and stands up. "Nothing," he says, not looking at Tony. He moves to bring his plate to the kitchen. "I think I will take my -"

Anthony interrupts him by jumping up. "Hey, no - wait a moment, okay? What's wrong? Was it something I said, I -"

"Anthony -"

"You can't just _ leave!" _

Loki is so surprised that he doesn't muster a reply for a few seconds. He didn't expect Anthony to shout, and judging by the look on the dragon's face he didn't expect himself to shout, either. It takes just a second until Anthony's face falls, and now he looks so crestfallen that Loki's chest tightens.

"Sorry," Anthony says. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. You can - I mean, of course you can go. If you want to."

"If I want to," Loki echoes tonelessly.

"Yeah." Anthony's hand comes up to rub his neck. "I kind of just - assumed that you… well. Anyway."

Loki doesn't understand anything anymore. He studies his friend's face, trying to make sense of this. "You assumed what?"

"What does it matter?" Anthony says, a little sharper now, and turns to go back to his nest of pillows.

Loki doesn't let him; he makes a quick step forward and grabs Anthony's arm, almost dropping the plate he's still holding. "Anthony, do you - do you _ want _ me to stay?"

Anthony looks at him like he thinks Loki has lost his mind. "What kind of question is that?"

"_ Anthony -" _

Anthony frees his arm from Loki's grip. "Loki, what the hell do you think I've been doing these past weeks, huh?"

Loki finally makes his damned plate disappear. "Well, you -"

"Just look at this, okay?" Anthony waves his arms, indicating the entire attic. "There are _ books, _ Loki. And chess. And like two dozen _ green pillows!" _

"Well, you _ are _ nesting -"

"I'm nesting _ for you!" _ Anthony snaps, then lets out a huff of breath. His eyes are very nearly burning, and the dragon's magic flickers in the air around him. "With you. Whatever. Look, it doesn't - it's fine. It's fine."

It's very much not fine, Loki can tell that just by looking at Anthony. Loki doesn't know what to say. His brain is still trying to catch up, and it works awfully slowly.

"I thought," he finally says, but has no idea how to finish the sentence. After a moment he tries again, "I thought… You don't want your friends to be here, then why would you…"

The frustration fades from Anthony's eyes and makes more than enough room for confusion. "Loki, I _ said _ I want it to be just the three of us."

He has a point there. Loki swallows. "I thought I misunderstood."

At first, Anthony just looks at him, then he says, "You're an idiot."

"So it seems," Loki says, even though he didn't really listen.

Anthony takes a breath. "Okay, right, just so we're on the same page - you do want to stay?"

Loki tries to concentrate and, after a moment, manages a nod.

"Okay. Great. Wonderful." Anthony waves his hand. "Welcome to our nest, then. I'm going to change."

With that, he turns on his heels and walks back to the egg. He pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it aside, and Loki hurries to look away. When he looks back, Anthony is already settling down on the pillows, his snout close to the egg.

Loki feels like he has done something wrong, but at the moment he is too confused to figure out what. He just stands there for a while, trying to wrap his head around the words _ our nest _, until -

_ Come _ here _ , Bambi. _

Loki hesitates, but after a few seconds he forces himself to move and follows the dragon. There really are a lot of green pillows, with a few golden ones scattered between them. Loki carefully sits down in his usual spot, leaning against Anthony’s warm side.

_ Don’t you like it here? _ Anthony asks, the words unusually quiet in Loki’s mind.

“Of course I do,” he answers.

Anthony stays quiet. He probably isn’t convinced that Loki is telling the truth, but Loki doesn’t know what else to say. He _ does _ want to stay. He wants nothing more. But he isn’t sure what this _ means, _ what Anthony wants from him - because surely they are friends, aren’t they? So that could easily be all Anthony wants, and Loki - Loki wants _ Anthony _ so much that he doesn’t even know what to do with himself anymore. It’s getting ridiculous. He never meant to get so hopelessly fond of a human, and that the human isn’t a human but a dragon makes things only marginally better.

But it doesn’t matter, really. Or does it? Anthony wants him to stay; that should be more than enough. And it _ is _. It is. But Loki can’t help but wonder, now.

Do Midgardian dragons nest for _ friends? _

_ You look a bit sick, _ Anthony remarks, the words unusually quiet in Loki’s mind.

Loki blinks and focuses, finding that Anthony has turned his head to watch him, concern visible in his golden eyes.

“I do not,” Loki replies. Then, “Anthony.”

_ Yes? _

Loki swallows. Now or never, isn’t it? Suddenly he does feel a little thing. “Midgardian dragons hold people captive sometimes, don’t they?” He asks, making sure it sounds like he’s teasing. “I read about it in a few books.”

Anthony snorts, amused. A little bit of fume rises up from his nostrils. _ Yeah, we do. Though ‘holding them captive’ really isn’t what the whole thing is about. _

“No? What is it about, then?”

_ Can’t you tell? _

Loki looks at him, unable to form a reply.

After a moment, Anthony squirms a bit and sways his tail. The last feet of hit comes to rest in Loki’s lap, warm and heavy. Loki stills and stares down on it, and only comes back to himself when Anthony wiggles the tip of his tail to get Loki’s attention. It stops wiggling when Loki starts tracing Anthony’s scales with his fingertips, as gently as he can. 

_ It’d be princesses, mostly, _ Anthony says, somehow managing to sound amused and entirely _ fond _ at the same time. _ In the books. _

“Really?” Loki asks, a little breathless.

_ Mh-hm. _ Anthony looks at Loki and blinks at him, very slowly. 

Loki clears his throat. “What about princes?”

_ Princes, _ Anthony echoes, resting his head on the pillowed ground. _ Yeah, I think I have a thing for them. _ His torso starts rumbling softly; he’s purring again. _ Or just for one of them, really. _

Loki smiles so brightly that it almost hurts, and there's not a single thing he can do about it.


End file.
